Where is the love? School spirit seems to be a bit low, and the pride in the Canes seems to be even lower. At the recent game against Georgia Tech, I noticed the stands were quite empty. Considering we played (and beat) a top 25 team, the stadium wasn’t full at all.
The city of Miami is not known to have great fans, especially for a college team that hasn’t performed as well recently. But with the recent resurrengence of quarterback Jacory Harris and a winning record, I feel that more people should be coming out for the games.
Reporters often call it the “South Beach effect.” If the team is not doing great, than there are better things to be doing, i.e. going to South Beach. But either way, I think at least the students should be coming out in droves for the games, even against opponents not ranked in the top 25.
Sun Life Stadium is a hike, however, and even I have forgone a game or two because of the distance. Unfortunately, I don’t see a stadium being built in the Gables anytime soon, which means that students and Miami residents need to make the long trek up to Miami Gardens.
I guess the only way to fill up seats is to have a team that wins. However, we can do our part and support our team. I am always amazed to see how passionate and full student sections in other colleges are. Hopefully, we can experience that sometime and maybe take away the stereotype of being fair weather fans.
Nikhil Ghorpade is a sophomore majoring in public relations and ecosystem science and policy.